device for cleaning the chimney from below

When raw wood and household waste are burned in a stove, a large amount of soot is released, which settles on the walls of the pipes. Because of this, thrust decreases and the intensity of fuel combustion decreases. The result of this phenomenon can be poisoning of people with carbon monoxide, which ceases to be removed from the room. A chimney brush can solve the draft problem. This device is considered the most effective way to eliminate such problems. Let's look at what it is, its structure, types, advantages and disadvantages.

How is soot formed in a chimney?

It would seem that after burning wood or coal, a handful of ash remains, settling in the pan, and a certain amount of smoke, disappearing without a trace in the chimney. However, he does not disappear without a trace. In addition to gaseous products released during combustion, smoke contains a certain concentration of solid impurities.

Some of these impurities are removed outside along with the smoke, while some are deposited on the inner surface of the chimney. Water vapor, which is also present in the smoke, gradually binds the soot layer together, making it dense and hard.

Note! The concentration of water vapor in the smoke directly depends on the degree of drying of the wood.

Active soot formation can be caused by one of these reasons:

Combustion of raw fuel. If damp firewood gets into the firebox, it must dry out before it burns. A large amount of energy is spent on this, and accordingly the temperature in the firebox can drop significantly. The carbon is underheated and, as a result, thick clouds of black smoke are formed. Affects the volume of soot emitted and the type of wood. Most of the soot comes from resinous trees - spruce, pine, etc.
Burning plastic, chipboard scraps, plywood. Synthetic materials emit huge amounts of soot when burned. After a couple of months of regular use of this type of fuel, any chimney will be completely clogged. It is better to throw such waste in the trash.
Bad traction. Cravings get worse for several reasons. This may be a narrowing of the chimney due to previously accumulated soot, or insufficient elevation of the chimney above the roof. In addition, the air supply can be deliberately limited to prolong the combustion time of the fuel.

In addition to soot, leaves falling from trees, bird nests, and wind-blown debris enter the chimney. In brick chimneys, there are often cases when the old chimney is partially or completely blocked by bricks that have fallen from the masonry.

Ruff and the specifics of its use

Sometimes you can break through a clogged pipe using a cleaner. This is a chemical method. A special composition is placed in the furnace device, softening the soot layer on the walls of the chimney. It is dissolved and removed outside by burning.

Considering the specifics of any smoke exhaust system, preference should be given to the mechanical method of cleaning it. In other words, a regular chimney brush is much more reliable than “chemistry”, which may not break through a large blockage. A metal brush is similar to a large dish brush, designed for cleaning objects with a narrow neck.

The components of the brush look like this:

metal tube (handle). Sometimes a metal cable of small diameter is used in manufacturing;
a hook on which a weight is attached for weighting;
working part (“head” or brush);
nozzles (if any).

A tube or cable helps a person direct the movements of the brush. The stronger the metal handle and the more reliable the brush, the easier it will be to “break through” a complex clog. Holding the tool by the handle, you need to make forward movements, moving further. It is the length of the cable that determines to what depth the system can be cleaned.

A commercial chimney brush can be made of solid metal or wire. It can be on springs or woven from thin metal threads that scrape off a layer of soot and soot. If hard deposits have accumulated inside the pipe, you definitely won’t find a better cleaning assistant.

The brush is the working element of all brushes. The onv is designed so that its elements “look” in all directions. It is this configuration that ensures effective cleaning of the chimney in all directions. Metal is the best material for a brush, but you can use plastic instead by making something like a brush from plastic bottles.

The distance of the nozzle from the edge of the handle should be from 10 to 15 cm. You should not place the nozzle on the edge: a hook for the weighting material is attached to it. The weight is used as a small cannonball or “battering tool” to knock compressed soot off the walls of the chimney.

When is it necessary to clean the chimney?

Regardless of the material and design of the chimney, it is impossible to completely avoid cleaning. During operation, the internal surface gradually becomes overgrown with soot and narrows, which threatens the occurrence of a reverse draft effect, when smoke partially or completely enters the room, posing a threat to the health and life of people inside.

When deciding whether cleaning is necessary, it is worth considering a number of factors:

When was the last time it was cleaned?
How long has the chimney been in use?
What material are the chimney pipes made of?
What fuel is used to operate the stove, how often is household waste and raw wood burned?
How often the firebox is made with firewood from coniferous trees.

The following signs will help you understand that cleaning is necessary:

The smoke coming from the chimney is not white or transparent, but dark, containing a high concentration of soot.
Flame color. Normally, the flames are light orange in color, and the wood crackles cheerfully as it burns. If the chimney is clogged with soot, the flame is darker and the burning intensity is significantly lower.

Still, the surest way to determine a blockage is a visual inspection. Professionals use for these purposes a load selected in accordance with the diameter of the pipe and attached to a cable. If the load moves up and down easily - the chimney is in order, it rests and gets stuck - it’s time to clean it.

The areas where the chimney duct turns and where it narrows are most susceptible to soot accumulation.

Note! To simplify the future cleaning procedure as much as possible, it is worthwhile to provide for the installation of inspection holes in the chimney, even at the design stage.

How to choose the right chimney brush?

Despite a general understanding of the cleaning procedure and an overview of the entire device, many are unaware of significant factors when purchasing finished products. It should be taken into account that the tool is not suitable for every type of channel. For example, for brick structures, a brush with hard “bristles” is suitable, where the “bitten” soot is “settled” quite tightly on the walls. If you are buying for a steel pipe, purchase soft products, with soft wire or plastic, nylon. Otherwise, the rigid wire may damage the structure. As you can see, there are enough nuances in choosing ruffs and it is important to pay attention to them.

Where is it sold and how much does it cost?

You can buy such a device at any hardware store. If you don't have it, you can purchase a brush for your chimney on the Internet; as a rule, the cost does not differ significantly. The average price is within 2,000 rubles.

Cleaning methods

There are several ways to clean a clogged chimney:

Mechanical

A special brush is pushed into the chimney, which, moving along the pipe, removes a layer of soot from its walls. To make the brush move more easily through the pipe, a small but fairly heavy weight is suspended from it.

The method is effective, but not without some inconveniences:

Getting to the pipe from above can be quite difficult, especially if it rises very high above the roof surface.
To clean from below, a flexible brush handle is required.
The entire contents of the pipe will fall down, covering the space adjacent to the furnace with a layer of soot. Washing away such contaminants can be a very difficult task.
It is very difficult to clean the corners of the chimney, especially from above.

It is important! A metal brush will last longer, but it can easily scratch a metal chimney. This device is more suitable for brick pipes. For metal ones, use a plastic brush.

Chemical

In this case, special powder substances, liquid, or briquettes (logs) soaked in them are used. The stove is melted, thoroughly heated, after which a chemical reagent is thrown into the fire in one form or another.

The active substances it contains help soften soot deposits. If not a lot of soot has accumulated, it can gradually fly out into the chimney under the influence of draft. If the deposits are large and heavy enough, they can fall down, completely blocking the chimney.

Experts advise using this cleaning method in cases where there is not yet a lot of soot in the pipe.

Among the most effective and popular chemicals:

Kominichek. The drug is produced in the Czech Republic and consists of small granules of a flammable substance, packaged in paper bags. The product is placed in the firebox of a preheated oven (it is not necessary to remove the packaging). If the thickness of the soot layer does not exceed 2 mm, the drug is able to remove it completely.
Chimney sweep Cleaning logs impregnated with active substances - coal wax, ammonium sulfate, phosphorus oxide. Vapors of substances loosen soot accumulations, and it is easily removed through the chimney.
Use of naphthalene. The chemical is applied to firewood, which, when burned, releases vapors that can effectively destroy soot deposits in the chimney. The only drawback is that after mothballs a specific smell remains in the room for a long time.
Hansa. A chemical product developed specifically to combat tar deposits. The complex formula of the active substance transforms soot into tiny crystals that fall off the walls.

After chemical cleaning of the chimney is completed, the room should be thoroughly ventilated. If a certain amount of soot continues to fall out of the pipe over the next few days, this is considered normal.

For a standard wood-burning stove that is used continuously, dry cleaning once every 2-3 months will be sufficient to keep the chimney clean.

Folk remedies

For a long time, stove heating remained the only available way to heat rooms, so the need to clean chimneys arose among people long before the advent of chemical reagents and modern mechanical devices.

People used improvised means, many of which are still successfully used today:

Dry aspen firewood. The logs are placed in a heated firebox and blaze with such a hot flame that the soot in the chimney simply burns out. The method is undoubtedly effective, but quite dangerous. Large accumulations of soot can explode when ignited, which can even rupture the chimney.
Burning dry potato peelings. The method of action resembles chemical reagents - under the influence of vapors from burning starch, the soot softens and is gradually removed through the pipe.
Use of salt. Each portion of firewood is generously sprinkled with salt before burning. The chemicals included in its composition bind soot during combustion and do not allow it to linger on the walls of the pipes.

If you don’t want to do the dirty work yourself, or the blockage is so strong that you can’t remove it yourself, you can call on professional chimney sweeps to help. Specialists have a lot of equipment that will help do the job quickly and without any damage to the cleanliness of the room.

This can be a special cleaning vacuum cleaner, which through the firebox is capable of sucking out all the accumulated soot from the chimney, or a brush with especially strong bristles and an electric drive.

How can you get rid of accumulated soot?

Sometimes, rather than hiring a non-professional, it’s much easier and safer to remove soot from your own bathhouse yourself - using brushes, modern chemicals for cleaning chimneys and even “old-fashioned” methods, and without necessarily climbing onto the roof!
Let's look at the most popular options for cleaning soot from a chimney and how to do it.

Using a special brush - a simple and proven method

Of all modern mechanical and chemical means, a brush is the simplest and safest

It is only important to choose one that is suitable for your chimney - both in diameter and in length, so that you do not worry about how to clean your chimney of soot along its entire height

Particularly good is a nylon brush with stiff bristles, which is easy to clean a chimney of any material. Nylon pile is flexible and adapts well to any pipe shape, while simultaneously coping with the most stubborn plaque. But at the same time it does not scratch or damage its inner surface.

The most difficult thing is to choose a good brush for chimney bends. This is where the soot settles, and it is not so easy to get it out. Nylon bristles are most suitable for this - they will easily penetrate into the most inaccessible places, while hard brushes will simply scratch the folded areas. And more scratches - less smoothness - more soot clings.

It is also important what kind of handle the brush has - it must be flexible enough so that it can fit into the most invisible nooks and crannies and at the same time be easy to control your movements

Potato peeling - the old-fashioned method

Here's how to clean a chimney in this way: throw a bucket or half a bucket of fresh potato peelings into a well-heated stove - that's how much will fit into it. During their burning, starch will be released, and it decomposes the soot. Within two to three days it will almost completely fall off the walls of the chimney and partially fall out. After this, tie a brush made of twigs to the brick and clean the top of the chimney in the classic way - it will be easy!

Aspen wood - with fire from the chimney

Cleaning a chimney with aspen wood is as old as the hills. But this method cannot be called safe - let's figure it out.

We put aspen wood in the stove and light it well. They burn well and produce a very high temperature. At this time, all doors and valves of the stove should be open, and do not forget to add more firewood. The result is that the soot itself lights up and the stove begins to make a loud noise. If you go outside at this moment, you will see fire pouring from the chimney on the roof of your bathhouse! And the surrounding area will quickly become covered with large white flakes. But the chimney will be cleaned, and cleaned well. If only it can withstand this test - after all, not every chimney is designed for 1100 ° C, and it is at this mark that soot will burn in it.

Aluminum cans - unusual, but effective

The cans need to be burned once in ten fires - this is enough, and very little soot will be collected. The only condition: the fire must be made hot, with a large amount of hard coal - so that the cans actually burn, and do not lie on the wood and change color. Normally, one can should burn out in five minutes.

Hose - whatever is at hand

Some bathhouse attendants don’t bother themselves much with newfangled methods and clean the chimney with a regular watering hose. The whole procedure looks like this:

Remove the glass from the bottom of the chimney.
We insert a hose from below (preferably from above), preferably a hard one.
A few cleaning movements - all the soot is already at the bottom.

You can additionally attach a chopped bottle or brush to the end of the same hose - and you will see how easy it is to clean the chimney effectively and cost-effectively!

Chemical cleaning is unpopular and unpleasant

Chemical cleaning of chimneys is more of a preventative measure than a real cleaning. The bottom line is that after this the soot will fall off in places, but you will still have to use an additional brush. Plus, the smell in the bathhouse can last for several days. Therefore, if potato peelings are not available to you, you can buy some “Komichek” or “Log-chimney sweeper”.

How to make chimney cleaning devices yourself

Standard devices for cleaning chimneys are sold at any hardware store. If you're creative, you can make a brush from improvised materials:

From several plastic bottles. The walls of the bottles are cut lengthwise into strips 1.5-2 cm wide. A hole is made in the bottom into which a thick wire is inserted. Several such blanks are inserted into each other, rigid tapes are evenly distributed around the circumference. Such an improvised brush will easily be enough for several uses.

From a disc brush for an angle grinder. A weight and a steel cable are attached to the disk. The main problem may be that the discs are produced in standard sizes, which do not always correspond to the diameter of the chimney.

Cleaning soot is an essential necessity for any type of chimney. If left unaddressed, this problem can not only reduce the efficiency of the furnace, but also become a serious threat to human health.

Plastic brush

Some people suggest making brushes with your own hands from plastic bottles . Unfortunately, such a device containing plastic will in most cases be ineffective, since soot deposits on the walls of chimneys can be harder than the plastic tool itself. Soot deposits are especially strong after repeated heating with pine and other coniferous wood .

To remove soot deposits, not only the hardness of the cleaning element of the brush is required, but also the strength of the attachment of this element. The significant forces generated when dragging the brush inside the chimney will quickly destroy the plastic elements of its structure.

The same applies to devices with plastic bristles. Such brushes are cheaper than all-metal ones, but in terms of cleaning quality and service life they are noticeably inferior to all-metal ones. Brushes with plastic bristles are only suitable for cleaning chimneys after using chemical soot removal products. Since under the influence of such agents soot becomes brittle and is much easier to remove from the walls, a brush with plastic bristles may be quite sufficient.

Why does the chimney become overgrown with soot?

The combustion process of fuel is an oxidation process, and this requires oxygen and high temperature. If at least one of these conditions is not met, soot appears - this is the result of insufficient oxidation of carbon. Externally, the presence of soot can be determined by the color of the smoke - if it is black, it means it contains soot particles, but most of it settles in the chimney, especially in places of turns.

Now a little about what can cause active soot formation:

Damp firewood. If you put undried wood on the fire, it will dry out first. This takes a lot of energy, which greatly reduces the temperature in the firebox. We get underheated carbon, a large cloud of black smoke and, after some time of using raw fuel, we will have a clogged chimney.

Using damp firewood leads to the accumulation of soot deposits

The rate at which the chimney becomes overgrown with soot also depends on the type of firewood. Resinous spruce and pine are not the best choice in this regard, but not everyone has the opportunity to burn with expensive oak or other hardwoods. In any case, you can make sure that the firewood is dry. To do this, it is worth building a larger firewood shed so that it can accommodate a supply for 2-3 years. Then you can use the most seasoned and dried logs, and let the fresh ones lie and reach condition.

Some useful tips

If possible, make two or three ruffs. One, with a diameter of 80 to 130% of the pipe cross-section, you will use for thick layers of soot. A second, smaller brush will help prevent minor blockages. When making a weight, focus on a third of the diameter of the chimney. The optimal length of the cable is 15% greater than the length of the pipe as a whole. A cable of this length will reach the hatch, breaking through all solid deposits along the way.

A chimney brush is a useful and necessary device. You can buy it at the store, but if you make it yourself, such a tool can be the best assistant for cleaning pipes for a long time.

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How can you clean a chimney from soot?

There are three ways to clean a chimney:

Chimney cleaning with a chimney sweep

Mechanical. A brush is inserted into the chimney, with the help of which the soot is knocked off the walls. The disadvantage of this method is that you need to have access to the pipe, which is not always easy. Not everyone is able to climb onto the roof, and cleaning from below requires flexible rods and access. Another unpleasant moment: all the contents fall down, you will have to collect it and take it out, and then spend a long time cleaning the soot from the stove or fireplace. Therefore, before starting cleaning, place some kind of container into which everything will be poured.
Chemical chimney cleaning - powders and briquettes (logs). When the system warms up, the powders are poured into the fire, and logs are placed under the firebox. The substances they contain soften the soot, it gradually flies into the pipe, but can fall down and block the passage altogether. So it is better to use these products for prevention when there is still a little soot.
Traditional methods. The problem of chimneys becoming overgrown with soot is not new, and our ancestors knew how to deal with it without chemicals. There were, of course, chimney sweeps, but they worked in cities, and their services cost a lot. Nevertheless, the problem was dealt with using very simple means - salt or potato peelings.

There is another drastic solution - go to the fire department and call specialists. They are no longer called chimney sweeps, but perform the same functions, albeit by different means. The solution is not bad, they know their job, since soot is explosive, as long as they don’t give permission to anyone. The only negative is the cost of such services.

What you need to know before lowering the tool down the chimney

The chimney should be cleaned not at the end of the heating season, but at the very beginning . This will allow you to have complete confidence that there is no bird's nest, cobwebs, leaves or other debris in the chimney. The best time for this is one of the warm and windless days in early autumn.

When cleaning a chimney, you should take care of the appropriate equipment and insurance.

Before you change into a chimney sweep suit and begin chimney maintenance, you must close all stove dampers and doors. Soot is tiny particles that can seep into any cracks and pollute the room and objects that are in it. If you have to service the chimney of a fireplace with an open firebox, then it is sealed using plastic film and tape.

The process of cleaning a chimney is not difficult. The brush is lowered repeatedly into the smoke channel, knocking deposits off the walls. To enhance the effect, alternate reciprocating movements with twisting the cable in different directions. The soot falls down. You can remove it through the inspection hatch using a dustpan, poker and broom.

There are situations when a device encounters an insurmountable obstacle halfway through its journey. This can be any voluminous object - some kind of rag, a bird's nest, or a piece of brick that has fallen out of the masonry. In this case, the brush is unfastened and the resulting jam is knocked out with just a weight, in the expectation that the cork will fall into the stove. After this, the brush is returned to its place and cleaning activities are resumed.

Regular soot removal will be required even where the latest, high-tech solid fuel equipment is used. The brush, which you can make with your own hands, will cope with even the most stubborn deposits with dignity. It’s just important not to put off cleaning the chimney for too long - not only the thermal efficiency and economics of the stove depend on it, but also the safety of your family.

Mechanical chimney cleaning products

Cleaning chimneys using brushes has been used for centuries, and they are still available today. A brush-ruff is attached to the end of a long elastic and flexible cable. Diameter - individually depending on the size of the chimney. A small metal ball can be tied under the ruff to make the tool go down easier. This structure is lowered into the chimney, raised, lowered again and raised again. Do this until the passage is clear. Everything works simply - the bristles knock off the soot from the pipe.

Chimney cleaning brush

This chimney cleaning has one peculiarity: if there is good draft, most of the soot flies out into the chimney. Therefore, firstly, you need to tie yourself down so that you don’t fall off the roof due to involuntary movement, and secondly, put on safety glasses and a respirator. Gloves would also help, but they are needed to prevent the cable from injuring your hands.

If you decide to make a chimney brush yourself, hang the ball below, and a centered one. Weights or wrenches are not suitable - sooner or later they become a waste in the chimney. You will be lucky if you can remove the tool without disassembling the pipe.

You can hang a ball below

The chimney is not always such that it can be cleaned from above - a sandwich pipe can rise several meters above the roof. You can’t put a ladder up to it, you can’t get close to it in any other way. In this case, the chimney is cleaned from below. For this purpose there are brushes on flexible rods. Fragments of the rod are connected to one another, the brush moves along the pipe. In this case, part of the soot is also carried away by the draft, but some falls down and this must also be taken into account. Professional chimney sweeps use special vacuum cleaners for collection (not household ones, since soot is explosive); if you clean it yourself, you will have to collect everything by hand.

Cleaning the chimney from below

If you have a fireplace, everything is simple - access is free, but if it is a boiler or sauna stove, the matter is more complicated. If the chimney has a glass to collect condensate, by removing it, you can run a brush into the pipe without any problems. If there are no revisions, you will have to try to get to the pipe through the firebox. If this is not possible, you will have to disassemble the chimney. Then it’s better to immediately redo it by installing a tee with a glass.

Cleaning from above

One of the ways to clean a chimney is to clean it from the roof. To do this, use a rope with a tied metal brush, and a weighting agent in the form of a cast iron core is tied to the end. This is a standard cleaning method in which the weight serves two purposes.

If the pipe is very clogged with various deposits, then the core, having sufficient weight, first breaks through the blockage, and then metal brushes come into play. In the second case, the weight pulls the cleaning device down and, by pulling the rope, helps to better remove soot.

Not only the core can serve as a weighting agent. The main thing is that the shape of the load is not too large and has good alignment. Otherwise, it may get caught on pipe elements or dense contaminants.

The design of the device is very simple; a weight is attached at the very bottom, then cleaning brushes. They can be arranged sequentially in several tiers. They can be plastic or metal, and you can also choose round or rectangular pipe sizes.

The brush has fastening rings on both sides. This design allows several brushes to be connected into a chain.

For cylindrical chimneys, longer brushes are used. They are able to quickly and efficiently clean the chimney. Plastic or metal pile is distributed on them in a spiral shape, which improves the cleaning process.

Chimney cleaning products

You can clean the chimney using chemicals while it is not too clogged. If the pipe is brick, these products help make mechanical cleaning less frequent. As an independent product they can be used for ceramic chimneys or those made of stainless steel. All these powders or logs for removing soot from a pipe are preventative. It is not always possible to clean the chimney from a large amount of soot with them. There have been cases when the soot that fell after burning the powder clogged the chimney tightly. I had to take a brush and clean it by hand.

Despite these shortcomings, the products are used and here’s why: during processing, the soot that is in the boiler, sauna stove or smoke ducts also softens. Pulling them by hand is a small pleasure, but regular use does a good job of eliminating the problem.

There are plenty of products for cleaning chimneys from soot in stores, but here are the most popular:

Kominichek. This is a Czech-made drug. The packaging contains paper bags with granules packaged in them. This soot remover is placed in a well-heated oven without breaking the bag. The whole paper bag is placed on the firewood; there is no need to tear it to pour out the product. According to reviews it works fine. The most effective is as long as the soot layer is no more than 2 mm - it cleans the chimney to clean walls.

Powder for cleaning chimneys "Komichek"

Chimney cleaning log

After using all chemicals, the room must be ventilated and the stove or fireplace must be cleaned. Please note that after treatment, the soot may still fall off for a couple of days - the remnants fly off.

Chemical chimney cleaning method

To clean your chimney regularly, you don’t have to climb onto the roof and get your hands dirty. It is enough to buy special products in tablets, granules, or liquid for cleaning the chimney. The principle of its operation is to break down soot-binding substances, after which it turns from a hard crust into an easily crumbling powder that burns in the lower part of the furnace.

Special chemicals for chimney cleaning

The method of using these products is very simple: they are placed on firewood during the next fire of the stove and set on fire, carefully heating it to better burn out the fallen soot. In this case, you should follow all the recommendations indicated on the packaging. The chemical method can also be used to pre-soften the soot layer before mechanical cleaning.

Video instructions for working with chemical soot remover

Traditional methods of chimney cleaning

The easiest way to prevent soot formation is to heat an already heated stove with aspen wood. They burn with a very hot flame, and the soot in the chimney burns away. The action is effective, but dangerous - if a lot of soot has accumulated, it explodes when ignited and can rupture the pipe.

Place a couple of logs when firing the stove and preventive cleaning of the chimney from soot is done

There are safer folk remedies that make chimney cleaning both effective and safe. Add half a kilogram of salt or about a bucket of potato peelings to a melted and well-heated oven. It is better to dry the peelings or add raw ones little by little - so as not to reduce the temperature in the firebox. The effect is approximately the same as when using chemicals, only a little softer - the soot flies out of the chimney for another three days.

Tips and tricks for chimney cleaning

Regular, timely removal of plaque and ash is the main factor for easy cleaning and high-quality operation of the heating system. Centuries of experience in operating fireplaces and stoves has led to the development of various methods for removing soot from smoke exhaust pipes. Here are a few of them:

Potato peel. Half a bucket of potato peelings is poured into the pipe, which, when the boiler is turned on, heats up and releases starch. The properties of this substance help dissolve plaque.
Aluminum containers. If you add aluminum cans to the firebox, soot will not settle on the walls. This is due to the fact that aluminum atoms have the same charge as soot particles.
Firewood from aspen. An easy but dangerous way to remove contaminants from a pipe. A log of this tree must be placed in the firebox and the stove should be lit. After a few minutes, a hum will be heard, which means that the settled soot has caught fire and is flying out. The danger of this method is due to the uncontrolled release of hot particles, which, if they fall on the roof or neighboring buildings, can lead to a fire.
The chemical cleaning method is accompanied by an unpleasant odor, soot and the settling of dust and dirt on all interior items close to the stove. The plaque peels off partially from the chimney, so such cleaning cannot be called completely effective.

Note! The odor emitted during chemical cleaning is harmful to human health, therefore, while using cleaning products, it is better to leave the room where the chimney is located.

Chimney brush: how to make a chimney sweep tool with your own hands

Stove heating not only does not lose ground, but is also experiencing its rebirth. For this reason, issues of proper operation and maintenance of solid fuel units are no less pressing than they were several centuries ago. Owners of private households do not have any difficulties with how to light a stove and what kind of firewood is best to use. Problems begin when the draft disappears and smoke begins to flow into the room. And the whole reason is a smoke duct clogged with soot and soot. It is difficult to find a chimney sweep today, so you will have to carry out the maintenance of the chimney yourself. All you need for this is a chimney brush, which you can make yourself.

Tool set

A professional chimney sweep service is quite expensive, and the instructions are not so complicated for an amateur, so next we will try to analyze it step by step and start with the tool.

There are not many devices for such work, and the main one among them has been a chimney brush for hundreds of years. Previously, this instrument was exclusively metal, but now plastic models have appeared.

Of course, it’s easier to buy a professional chimney brush, but high-quality models are expensive, and there’s no point in spending money on consumer goods. A good solution would be to make your own chimney brush. To do this, you can use a hard plastic broom or assemble a brush from elastic steel wire.

Scheme of a homemade brush for cleaning a chimney

Plastic brush

It is easier to make a plastic brush; for this you will need a hard plastic broom, which can be bought at any hardware store, 2 repair nuts with a ring, a threaded rod and a couple of wide washers. Plus weighting and a cable, but more on that later.

Assembling a brush for cleaning a chimney with your own hands will be inexpensive

The assembly instructions themselves are not complicated.

Remove the top cap from the broom.
Drill a hole in the center of the broom.
Insert a pin into this hole.
Place 2 wide washers on both sides of the stud.
Screw on 2 repair washers with a ring on both sides of the stud; screw until the broom bristles are pulled apart.
Hang a cable on one side and a weight on the other.

Homemade plastic brush for cleaning the chimney

Metal brush

The metal brush is also easy to assemble; the instructions are almost the same. The location of the parts is shown in the diagram above. Only instead of a plastic broom, you need to take a thick steel cable, cut it and disassemble it, and then use steel wire to assemble the brush.

Metal brush on a prefabricated rod made of PVC pipes

Important! The ideal option for weighting is a metal core, but it can be replaced with any other weighting material, the main thing is that the device is well centered. If you hang a weight with a shifted or changed center of gravity, such as a dumbbell, then it may jam directly in the chimney and then you will have to disassemble part of the pipe.

Flexible models

A wire brush is considered the main tool, but it is not the only one. The photo above shows a prefabricated rod made of PVC pipes. If you know how to solder PVC pipes, then you can assemble the rod yourself, otherwise, contact the mechanics at the housing office.

On this site there is a separate article on arranging a plastic pipeline with your own hands, there are step-by-step soldering instructions with photos and videos, using it you can solder a typesetting rod yourself, all this is “HERE” .

But you can’t do everything with your own hands, I recommend buying a brush with a fiberglass cable, it will be useful when cleaning rough channels in the oven.

When cleaning the furnace channels, you cannot do without a brush on a flexible fiberglass cable.

What causes clogged chimney pipes?

The advantages of stove heating, such as efficiency, autonomy and the ability to create a special, homely atmosphere, cannot be surpassed by any modern heating device. Thanks to this, stoves and fireplaces are still widely used in both rural areas and cities. However, the use of solid fuel has many disadvantages, one of which is the need to regularly clean the smoke ducts. But the frequency of their maintenance can be significantly reduced if you know where so much soot and soot comes from.

Deposits in the chimney can completely block the smoke exit channel

So, the main factors that contribute to chimney clogging are:

burning of waste, which consists of high-carbon materials (all types of plastic, polyethylene, polystyrene foam, cardboard, etc.);
use of wet firewood;
violation of the operating mode of the heating device;
heating with wood that contains a large amount of resin (pine, spruce, fir, etc.);
ash is rarely removed from the working chambers of the furnace;
violation of the fuel supply mode;
ingress of third-party debris.

In addition, rapid contamination of the chimney can be caused by increased roughness of the walls of the flues and their incorrect configuration. For this reason, it is better to entrust the construction of the furnace to an experienced craftsman.

Dangers of soot accumulation

It is impossible not to notice problems with the chimney. Most often they will be indicated by the following signs:

craving decreases;
firewood does not light well when kindled;
smoke is coming into the room;
reduction in the thermal efficiency of the furnace.

All these factors indicate that the gas duct is so clogged that only a narrow hole remains for the combustion products to escape. Using a heating device in such conditions is prohibited, as this often leads to tragic consequences:

a decrease in the cross-section of the smoke channels can provoke reverse draft, so the room may become smoked with carbon monoxide;
soot flakes can ignite and fly out of the pipe, creating a fire hazard.

Accumulations of soot in the chimney can lead to a fire

If the soot is not removed in time, then the process of its deposition proceeds like an avalanche, since the combustion mode of the fuel is disrupted and, along with solid particles, unburned tarry secretions and moisture are deposited on the walls of the flues.

Why do chimneys get clogged?

The accumulation of soot and tar is quite difficult to avoid; over time, such deposits will make themselves felt, draft may become poor, and smoke in the premises will affect the comfort of living in the house.

The most dangerous thing can be safely called the ignition of small elements in soot when their volumes are large; everyone takes fire safety seriously, so the problem must be eliminated in a timely manner.

Among the subjective reasons, it is worth highlighting the following:

Coal and firewood were of poor quality.
Use for heating household waste such as plastic, rubber and similar things.
The operating mode of the device is selected incorrectly.
Gross mistakes were made during the construction of the device.
Burning resinous fuel, spruce, pine.
Using wet logs.

Based on these factors, the owners try to eliminate the problem, but with these actions they only delay the moment of cleaning the canal.

Without decisive action, it will not be possible to eliminate large particles, which is why environmentally friendly means for manual pipe cleaning are in great demand. All manipulations can be done independently and achieve maximum results in a short period of time.

Chimney cleaning equipment

Deposits can be removed from the chimney using chemical and mechanical methods. The first involves burning substances in a furnace, the combustion products of which soften soot deposits and promote their combustion and removal naturally. The second is to remove soot from the walls of the chimney using various scrapers, brushes, etc.

Chemicals for cleaning the chimney allow you to do without mechanical devices, but are quite expensive

Practice shows that mechanical cleaning is best done with a hard brush, like the one used for washing dishes with a narrow neck. A wide variety of materials are suitable for the manufacture of such a tool:

steel rope;
plastic bottles;
pieces of steel wire;
thick fishing line or plastic rods;
springs;
thick rubber;
metal chain or strong rope;
various weights and sinkers.

The choice of a particular material for making a brush for cleaning chimneys depends on how persistent soot deposits will have to be removed . For regularly maintained chimneys made of steel or asbestos-cement pipes, a tool with soft bristles is suitable, while brick flues with many years of soot deposits can only be cleaned with a metal wire brush. It is best to have in your arsenal several devices of varying degrees of rigidity or make one combined tool.

How is the brush used?

Its function is to scrape off soot build-up from the walls of the chimney pipe. The principle of operation of any brush is quite simple: the scraper is inserted into the chimney opening, then deposits are scraped off with its help - combustion products are swept down to the hatch to collect contaminants.

When cleaning work on the roof it is necessary to use insurance

The simplest stove brush is a structure made of a cable (or rod), brushes and a suspension (or weight). A suspension is required only in cases where vertical pipe cleaning is intended - to adjust the gravity of the cleaning element. For work in a horizontal position, the sinker suspension may not be used.

A long rod with bristles at the end is the simplest design of a brush

The technology for using a brush in general terms is as follows:

The brush is inserted into a vertical outlet channel, where deposits are knocked off the walls by forward-return movements. To achieve greater effect in cleaning the walls, a sinker is attached to the brush.
Vertical cleaning consists of forward and downward movements of the brush on a cable with a suspension
Next, the horizontal areas should also be cleaned with a brush.
To do this, it is introduced into the hatches and makes translational movements in the horizontal direction. Solid particles of soot and soot are removed through the channels with a scoop or scraper. The horizontal cleaning process involves using a brush to push existing dirt around the hatch

As weights, you can use ordinary weights that are compact in size and have sufficient weight for cleaning.

How to make a stove maker's tool

Before you start making a device for removing soot deposits, you need to consider its design and dimensions. In this case, it is necessary to take into account:

length of the chimney;
flue diameter;
quantity and persistence of deposits.

Based on the input data, conclusions are drawn about the length of the cable, the mass of the load, the size of the brush and its rigidity.

Design of a device for removing soot mechanically

The length of the rope or cable used to hold the brush is taken with a margin of 2–2.5 meters. This will allow you to hold the device more firmly in your hands, and, if necessary, make a loop around the chimney so as not to drop the tool into the chimney. Any weight can be used as a weight - from a specially cast lead blank to some heavy nut or a worn-out automobile part.

Making a plastic brush

A budget brush for removing soot from a chimney can easily be made from available materials. To make a plastic brush you will need:

broom made of polypropylene rods;
plumbing cable of the required length;
metal pin with a diameter of 8 mm with an eye;
nut with a diameter of 8 mm with an eye;
washer with a diameter of at least 50 mm with a hole of 8 mm;
2 carbines;
load 0.5–2 kg.

If you can't find a stud and lug nut, don't despair - a regular bolt will do. Loops for attaching the cable and load can be made of steel wire.

Materials needed to make a plastic chimney brush

The diameter of the brush made of plastic elements should be slightly larger than the cross-section of the smoke channel. This will provide increased pressure on the individual rods on the walls of the chimney and increase the cleaning speed.

The work is performed in the following order:

Cut off or unscrew the stem from a synthetic broom; it will not be needed in the future. To make it more convenient to work, the remaining part is clamped in a vice.
The bristles of the round broom are bent to the sides. To make the material more pliable, the brush is dipped in boiling water or heated with a hair dryer.

The rods of the plastic broom must be straightened

The hairpin allows you to fix the bristles in the desired position

The eyelet nut allows you not only to fix the rods of the brush, but also to attach a load and a cable to it

Excessively long rods should be trimmed

You can make a chimney brush yourself

In addition to a synthetic broom, plastic soda water containers are a good material for making a soft brush. To make a “lush” brush, you will need 5-6 such vessels and a sharp knife. It is necessary to cut off the bottom of all bottles and dissolve the walls into strips ranging from 3 to 10 mm wide. After this, the neck of all containers, except one, is cut off, leaving a hole slightly larger than the diameter of the neck. Assembly into a single structure is carried out by pushing the parts onto the remaining threaded part and securing them with a lid. After this, drilling is done for the pin and the brush is attached to the cable and weight in the manner described above.

To make the bristles from a plastic bottle more rigid, they are heated with a torch or a hair dryer. The same method can be used to give the brush the desired shape.

How to make a metal brush

To make a cleaning tool from metal, you can use pieces of steel wire (cable) or use a wire brush for an angle grinder. In the latter case, the angle grinder device is simply mounted on a cable with a load and secured with wire. If using a working tool for purposes other than its intended purpose is unacceptable to you, then you can make a metal brush with your own hands. For this you will need:

a coil of steel wire Ø1–2 mm or a cable with a diameter of up to 5 mm;
M8 pin or bolt 6–8 cm long;
M8 lug nuts;
washers with a diameter of at least 50 mm with an internal hole of Ø8 mm;
pliers;
hammer;
chisel;
spanners.

Steel wire is the basis of a homemade metal brush

The technology for making a metal brush is not complicated:

The metal wire is cut into pieces whose diameter is at least 80% of the chimney cross-section. The easiest way to do this is with pliers. If a steel cable is used, then instead of wire cutters it is better to use a hammer and chisel, with which the material can be easily cut into pieces of the required length.

The length of individual rods of the device should be up to 80% of the chimney diameter

The metal bristles should be evenly distributed along the contour of the future brush.

For additional fixation, metal rods can be additionally secured by welding.

The simplicity of this method makes it extremely popular among home craftsmen. And at the same time, there is another very interesting tool that combines both a brush for removing soot and a weight. In addition to the tools and materials described above, for its manufacture you will need:

steel pipe with a diameter of more than 50 mm;
electric drill;
high carbon steel core;
a metal drill whose diameter corresponds to the cross-section of the wire or cable;
sand-cement mortar.

To make a brush, exactly the same as in the previous case, prepare the required number of flexible elements. Then proceed like this:

Through holes are made in the walls of the steel pipe. The density and uniformity of the bristles depends on the accuracy of this work and the step between drillings, so this stage should be treated as responsibly as possible.
Wire elements are threaded into the holes, placing their edges symmetrically with respect to the pipe.
A steel bar is installed in the center, to which the holding cable will later be attached.
The inner surface of the pipe is filled with mortar, which will ensure fixation of the flexible elements and make the device quite heavy.

The tool can be used only after the cement-sand mixture has set and acquired the necessary strength.

How the ruff works

The brush for cleaning chimney pipes consists of the following parts:

Head. It is a hard pile fixed to the base, made of metal or plastic.
Weighting agent. It is made in the shape of a ball or cylinder, made of iron or lead.
Cable. It is the basis for fastening all parts. Made from iron or synthetic fiber.
Hook. Located on the cable between the head and the load.
Tubes They are mounted on a cable and are designed to create a dynamic force when pushing the brush down.
Replaceable nozzles. Performed in the form of a pike or hook. Designed for breaking through obstacles and extracting dense objects.

To clean pipes of certain shapes, brushes with different parameters are used.

What is required to modify the brush?

In order to modify the brush into a brush, it needs to be bent.

This process will require the following:

the toothbrush itself;
pliers;
pan with boiling water.

Before you start modifying the brush, you need to take care of protection for your eyes and hands.

Make it yourself or buy it

This question invariably faces owners of property heated with coal or wood. If you have the skills to handle household tools, making a brush will not be difficult.

But this will require spending time, which everyone is sorely lacking. It is much easier to purchase a finished product from a factory. Fortunately, today retail stores offer a wide range of similar products, and their prices are quite reasonable.

Tips for choosing

When purchasing chimney cleaning devices, you should not focus on their cost. A cheap purchase may not be effective and will sit in the pantry for years.

The following factors need to be taken into account:

brick channels can be processed with any material;
To clean ceramic pipes, only a plastic brush may be used;
steel chimneys can be cleaned with heads with bristles made of copper or brass;

The most popular brushes are from the following manufacturers:

PCC (Poland) - plastic and metal, with a diameter of 120-400 mm;
Hansa (Lithuania) - universal 150-400 mm;
Chimney sweep (Russia) - a set with replaceable nozzles.

Other uses for a toothbrush

An old toothbrush will help you out where “jewelry work” is required and large assistants simply cannot maneuver. Surely some of you are already using this accessory for other purposes, and some of the ideas below have never even occurred to you.

What is convenient to clean with a toothbrush:

Gas stove turntables. Knobs that control the gas supply are often covered with splashes from the stove and sticky residue. To “prevent” them, you can quickly walk over the surface with damp bristles with a drop of dishwashing detergent, and then wipe with a cloth dampened in clean water.
Toaster. This device is distinguished by its miniature size and narrow slot openings. Crumbs often accumulate inside the toaster, which burn during use and spread a burning smell throughout the kitchen. A brush can be used to easily clean the interior surfaces of household appliances.
Plumbing. Modern taps can have the most bizarre shapes. An old brush can easily clean the most difficult to reach places. Additionally, use a cleaning powder or gel cleaner to clean your plumbing fixtures, and your faucet will shine with its pristine shine.
Cloth. Sometimes, before washing an item, you have to first get rid of stains. In this case, a toothbrush will also come in handy, as it acts on the tissue as delicately as possible. Apply stain remover to the dirty area, and then use our universal accessory.
Upholstered furniture, car interior. The furniture surface can be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner, but dust often accumulates in the seams of the upholstery. You can thoroughly remove dust pellets by cleaning the grooves with a dry or slightly damp toothbrush.
Bicycle chain. In order for a bicycle to serve faithfully for many years, it must be regularly maintained, without neglecting the wheel chain. It is quite difficult to clean lumps of dirt from the joints. Do this with a wet toothbrush and then wipe the chain with a dry, clean cloth to protect it from rust.

Only a modest imagination can limit the applications of a used toothbrush. Using elastic bristles, you can wash blind slats and mosquito nets, aquarium accessories, tile joints, clean computer keyboards and jewelry. When reusing the brush, you can not stand on ceremony, but simply throw it away if it gets dirty, replacing it with another one.

Source

Chemical cleaning methods

How to heat the stove to clean the chimney? These substances include the following:

Naphthalene. It is added to the surface of the fuel in a well-heated furnace. At the same time, naphthalene evaporates, and its vapors destroy the entire layer of soot deposits. It is carried out in the form of flakes into the atmosphere. The disadvantage of this method is the unpleasant odor of this drug that remains in the room. Therefore, it is not used for cleaning pipes where an open source of fire is used (for example, a fireplace).

A blue mixture made with your own hands from simple and affordable ingredients. Let's take a look at the composition:
1/7 saltpeter;
1/2 medium fraction coke.

The mixture is added to a well-heated firebox. The evaporation products, as in the first case, destroy the layer of soot that goes out with the flue gases. The amount of mixture added for one cleaning is about 20 grams, the frequency of use is 1-2 times a month. The firebox door must be closed tightly after adding the mixture.

To combat soot deposits, aspen firewood is used, which is added to the maximum heated firebox in the amount of 1-2 medium-sized logs. The combustion temperature of such firewood is higher than that of commonly used fuel, and minor soot deposits burn directly during combustion. If there are significant deposits, this method is not used so as not to provoke a fire. It is recommended to do this regularly, a couple of times every 7 days.

Walnut shell. Its combustion also occurs at a significant temperature and the principle of operation is the same in the previous case. A single dose of shells should be no more than three liters.

Rock salt. It is added to the firebox when igniting the stove in the amount of 1-2 spoons. The evaporation from it softens the layer of soot in the pipe, which peels off from the walls and falls into the storage tank.
Potato peelings. They are used by adding to the firebox in quantities of up to 5 kilograms in dry form. Starch vapor effectively softens the soot, and it literally falls off the pipe walls in pieces. The product is used as it accumulates.

You can also use starch to clean the chimney in the amount of one spoon per firebox.

Chemicals for protecting chimneys. They are produced by industry specifically to protect chimneys from soot and soot. Release forms vary from imitation firewood or briquettes to powder or liquid formulations. Let's point out some of the most popular ones:

There is a wide range of carbon removers available in stores, and you can always choose the appropriate option for any situation.

When using purchased chimney preventatives, you must strictly follow the manufacturer’s recommendations, especially regarding safety requirements.

Homemade devices for mechanical cleaning

It is not necessary to buy a brush to clean the chimney pipe; you can make it yourself:

From plastic bottles cut into ribbons.
Cut off the bottom of several bottles, insert one into the other, cut most of the “body” into ribbons, and bend them at different angles. For greater elasticity, some of the bottles can be turned towards. Nail the finished brush to a stick, screw it to a rod, etc. Homemade devices for cleaning a chimney
You need a piece of cable with at least 10 cores. Aluminum is preferable, but copper will also work (it is softer and more expensive). The cross-section of the cores is no less than 10 mm. The conductors do not need to be cleaned of the insulation, simply separated in different directions, like a brush. If the cable is old or free, you can use it that way. But it’s useful to put marks on the insulation every meter. You can clamp this cable into a screwdriver (if the diameter allows).
Use a toilet brush with stiff bristles. Attach a weight below. If the walls are metal, you can hang shreds around the load. They will not damage the metal.

Cleaning the chimney from below is also possible.
Before starting work, carry out the preparatory stage:

close the vent, firebox door, and cleanout hatches;
all of the above points are equipped with an elementary filter in the form of a dense damp cloth;
open all the valves and views of the furnace completely.

The vertical part of the chimney is processed using a brush with a core to weight the tool. The structure is equipped with a long cable or a rope, rope or strong cord is used. It is recommended to choose a rope 2-3 m longer than the height of the pipe in order to secure the outer end to the base of the shaft, otherwise there is a risk of dropping the device into the channel due to the gravity of the core.

To clean the vertical section of the chimney, the device is lowered down the channel, pushing and rotating with a rope in different directions. After the structure with the load and the brush is at the bottom of the shaft, they lift it back up, making the same movements using a rope. If the tool does not pass due to dense layers of soot in a certain area, the cable is lifted and sharply lowered into the pipe to break through the blockage.

Cleaning the horizontal channels of the flue is carried out using a brush with a rigid handle. Most often, the device is equipped with a solid or stacked rod, the length of which is selected in accordance with the parameters of the plane being processed. Since the rotary chimney units have special doors, moving along them, it is easy to clean all horizontal sections.

What is a cleaning brush, what does it look like and what does it consist of?

Structurally, the brush consists of the following parts:

Brush. The main element almost always has a round shape. It is this element that cleans plaque from the inner walls of chimneys. Can be made of metal, plastic or nylon.
Sinker. Only used if the brush is attached to a cable. If it is attached to a telescopic pole, then a weight is not needed. The approximate weight of the weight is 2-3 kg. Its purpose is to add weight to a light brush. Without additional weight, a brush on a cable simply will not properly clean off even a light layer of plaque.
T grew or pen. A brush is attached to this element, and on it it is lowered into the chimney.

The main quality characteristics include:

Length of cable (handle). Cables are usually used 10-15 meters long, handles 1-1.5 meters long.
Brush diameter (rectangular products are found, but less common than round ones). Can be from 20 to 250 mm. The most common range is 150-200.

Types of products by material and type of design

The main differences between all products are in 2 nuances:

The material from which the brush is made.
The method by which the brush will be lowered into the chimney.

The cleaning process, the brush is lowered into the chimney on a rope

Based on the material, the following options are currently used:

Metal. These brushes last longer, are more durable and reliable. The disadvantages include less convenient use: if the metal bristles get caught on something, it will be more difficult to “free” it. In addition, metal products are more expensive than plastic ones (but since the cost of any brushes rarely exceeds 2000 rubles, this is not critical).
Plastic. It is easier to make such products yourself - it is done quickly and easily (we will describe how exactly below). Plastic brushes wear out and break easily and quickly. In addition, they cope much worse with complex and old blockages.
Nylon. A relatively new option, essentially an intermediate solution between plastic and metal.

According to the method in which the brush is lowered into the chimney:

On a cable/rope. Can only be used from above - the brush is lowered into the pipe under the weight of the sinker. This option is relatively simple, but is not suitable for cleaning horizontal areas. The cable can be metal, nylon or rope.
On a flexible cable (as for cleaning sewer pipes). Pros: can be used both from above and below, and on horizontal areas.
On a rigid handle (rod). A universal and more effective option - it allows you to quickly clear accumulated soot and can be used in both vertical and horizontal areas. The length of the handle is usually adjustable - for this they are made telescopic, and, if necessary, folded or unfolded.